One of the great things about living in California is the hundreds of miles of gorgeous coastline. From San Diego to San Francisco and beyond, living and working by the water is something that a lot of people want in their lives. However, there are downsides to building things right along the water’s edge, and hundreds of thousands of Californians are about to learn that the hard way.
According to multiple reports, Metrolink and Amtrak services from Irvine, California to San Diego — a distance of about 85 miles — will be shut down for at least one month due to a landslide and corrosion near the train tracks.
According to a report from The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Metrolink and Amtrak train service between Orange County and San Diego County has been suspended until further notice because of slope movement beneath the seaside tracks at San Clemente.
The tracks are San Diego’s only viable rail link with Los Angeles and the rest of the United States, and are part of the 350-mile LOSSAN rail corridor from the downtown Union Station to San Luis Obispo on the Central California coast.
“Working with geologists, geotechnical engineers, and surveyors, we have determined (that) to ensure passenger safety service, suspension is necessary,” states an announcement on the Metrolink website. “Until we have confirmation from the experts the slope movement has stopped, we will not resume Metrolink service.”
Unfortunately, the suspension of both Amtrak and Metrolink services could have a massive impact on a lot of local California residents who use the trains to travel to Disneyland Resort. Both Amtrak and Metrolink have stations near Disneyland Resort, and the closing of the lines will mean that certain residents have lost a convenient way to get to The Happiest Place on Earth. Amtrak will be offering bus services to certain locations, but Metrolink is offering nothing to travelers at this time.
Gas prices in California are 70% higher than they are in the rest of the country — averaging more than $6 per gallon — and parking at Disneyland Resort costs $30 per car. The Metrolink provided some Guests with a cheaper and more convenient way to get to the Parks.
Officials have said that they hope to have the track fixed and safe enough to open by mid-November, but there is no definitive opening timeline.